F-1 Graduate Students Curricular Practical Training (CPT) Application

TSU ■ Office of International Student Affairs ■ 3100 Cleburne ■ Bell Hall 2 nd Floor ■ Houston, TX 77004 ■ (713) 313-4229F-1 Graduate StudentsCurricular Practical Training (CPT) ApplicationDescription2 Types of CPT forGraduate StudentsEligibilityLocationDurationHours per weekOffer of employmentEffect on other workApproval processAuthorizationCurricular Practical Training (CPT) allows eligible and authorized F-1 students to participate inpractical training that is an “integral part of an established curriculum.” The Coop program hasbeen an integral part of the TSU curriculum for many years. The employment must be directlyrelated to your major field of study.Option 1: CPT COOP (i.e. Cooperative Education Program). This program requires a studentto find a job that is directly related to their major. It is not a required course.Option 2: Required practicum or internship course taken for course credit. If you are takinga required course or will be receiving course credit, you should choose this option.Otherwise, choose Option 1.Students must have been lawfully enrolled on a full-time basis at a DHS approved school forone full academic year before being eligible for CPT (i.e. fall and spring semesters).Students entering the United States under a new SEVIS ID# must wait to complete one fullacademic year as a full-time student before they are eligible to apply for OPT. It is onlyavailable for F-1 students who are in status and before completion of all degree requirements.Once your degree is completed, all CPT must cease.Students may only engage in CPT for the specific employer and location that will be recordedon p. 3 of the I-20.You may only work for the specific time period noted on p. 3 of your I-20. Time frames aregranted for one semester at a time.Part-time CPT (i.e. less than 20 per week) can be approved only if enrolled in full-time hoursexcept during final semester or summer. Full-time CPT (i.e. more than 20 hours a week) canbe approved only if enrolled in at least 3 hours. Full-time CPT must span the entire semesterto be eligible for a reduced course load. Different colleges have different policieson who can be engaged in CPT. Therefore, you also need the approval of your academicadvisor and college to participate.You must obtain a job offer letter that specifies the job title and responsibilities on companyletterhead. The letter should state the start date and ending date if it is known.Although there is no limit to the amount of full-time CPT, if you do CPT for 12 months or longeryou will no longer be eligible for Optional Practical Training (OPT). We normally advisestudents to stop their participation in full-time CPT after completing 11 months. There is nolimit to the amount of part-time CPT a student can participate in (no impact on future OPT).FOLLOW ALL THE STEPS ON THE APPLICATION SHEET AND BEFORE OBTAININGFINAL AUTHORIZATION, YOU MUST BE REGISTERED IN CLASSES FOR THE NEXTSEMESTER, INCLUDING SUMMER, AS APPLICABLE.Authorization by OISA is the final step in the process. You will receive a new I-20 with anotation on p. 3 authorizing your employment. The beginning and ending dates and the nameand address of the employer, whether you are approved for full-time or part-time employmentwill all be found on p.3 of the I-20. Do not work until you are authorized!Use the following table to identify all previous CPT: (Note: If this is your first time, write “None”)PREVIOUS CPTDates Part-time Full-time Dates Part-time Full-time

TSU ■ Office of International Student Affairs ■ 3100 Cleburne ■ Bell Hall 2 nd Floor ■ Houston, TX 77004 ■ (713) 313-4229F-1 GRADUATE STUDENT CPT APPLICATIONStep 1: Student InformationFamily name: Given name: Student ID:Major: Degree: Expected graduation:Request effective for (semester/year): Do you plan to have any on-campus job during your CPT? Yes NoSignature: Date: Phone:Step 2: Student RequestCurricular Practical Training: Part-time (20 hrs/week or less) Full-time (over 20 hrs/week)Select one of the following two options:CPT COOP (i.e. Cooperative Education Program). See Step 5 - Option 1.Required practicum or internship course taken for academic credit. See Step 5 - Option 2.I am requesting a CPT start date of ______________________ AND I have registered for classes for the next semester, including summer,as applicable.I am also requesting a Reduced Course Load (RCL) while participating in CPTReduced course load while doing my full-time CPT. I will take _____ hours during the semester of CPT.Step 3: OISA Eligibility VerificationThe above named student is legally eligible for CPT COOP. Note: Eligibility does not equal authorization. Please complete all sections.OISA Signature: _________________________________________________________________ Date____________________Step 4: Employer Statement of Understanding (Please attach job offer letter)Dear Employer: The above named student is applying for employment under the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (formerly the INS)program called Curricular Practical Training (CPT). The application will be reviewed by an authorized Designated School Official (DSO) at TSU.Authorization will be made after review of the student’s records, your job offer letter, and this application. Your job offer letter should contain the jobtitle, a basic description of job duties, the start date, and ending date (if known). Some CPT will be structured under the TSU CooperativeEducation Program (COOP) and must be related to the student’s major. Other CPT may involve registering for a required course at TSU. Workauthorization for this student must be renewed each semester. The proof of authorization will be a typed authorization on p. 3 of the student’sSEVIS (Student & Exchange Visitor Information System) generated I-20. P. 1 and 3 of the I-20 contains a bar code that is a unique identifier of thestudent. This I-20 information, including the employer name, will be in the SEVIS records (see page 31 of the I-9 Employer Handbook of a sampleI-20). The student will receive a grade for the CPT. The signature below does not obligate the employer in anyway. It is a statement ofunderstanding about the nature of the student’s authorization to work. It may take 5-10 working days to complete the authorization process.“As the employer (or representative thereof), I understand that the authorization for this employment will be through the CPT program. Ihave attached a job offer letter. Employment is contingent on the student producing proper work authorization each semester.”Employer _________________________ Signature ________________________ Title ______________________ Date____________________Step 5: Academic Approval for COOP Program (Required Practicum or Internship, Skip to Step 6 – Option2)I believe that the attached job offer represents a valid training opportunity directly related to the student’s major.Academic Advisor Signature( All students) ______________________________________________ Date ___________________Step 6: Course Registration (Choose Either Option 1 or 2)Option 1: CPT COOP SignatureIf you are applying for CPT COOP, please take this form to Fairchild Room #150Student is approved for: fall _____ spring _____ summer _____ part-time or full-time“As a COOP official, I believe that the student’s job offer is directly related to his/her major.”COOP Signature __________________________________________________________________ Date _____________Option 2: CPT Required Practicum or InternshipIf you are applying for CPT that is a required practicum or internship, please have this section signed by your academic advisor.1. Please list course and course number through which the practical training is offered:Course Title _________________________________________ Course Number: ____________________________2. Student is approved for: part-time or full-time3. Student is approved for a reduced course load while doing full-time CPT (Student is required to take at least one course if approved for full-timeCPT.) The student is approved for ______ hours of course work for this main semester.Academic Advisor__________________________________________________________ Phone ______________________Signature ________________________________________________________________________ Date:________________________Step 7: OISA AuthorizationNew I-20 issuedOISA Signature: __________________________________________ ______ Date _______________________